


Until The Stars Fade

by gmariam19 (gmariam)



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Dubious Science, Established Poe Dameron/Finn, Force-Sensitive Finn (Star Wars), M/M, Married Poe Dameron/Finn, Nervous Poe Dameron, POV Finn (Star Wars), POV Poe Dameron, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Spoilers, Weddings, poe dameron comics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:55:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23175802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gmariam/pseuds/gmariam19
Summary: An old enemy returns in an attempt to ruin a very special day for the Resistance and its two generals.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Finn
Comments: 59
Kudos: 104





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"You seem nervous, son."

Poe turns from his pacing, shakes his head as he continues walking the opposite direction. "Of course I am. Weren't you?"

Kes Dameron smiles, his salt and pepper beard neatly trimmed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Not really," he says, and doesn't that make Poe feel even worse? His dad can not only see right through him, but he's got nerves of durasteel as well.

"Thanks for the support," Poe mutters. He stops and adjusts his dress uniform again, pulling at the sleeves and straightening his belt. There's even some medals, and it all feels wrong, like he's dressed up, pretending to be something he's not. It's probably the tenth time he's fussed with it, but it's something he can do besides pace, stare out the window at the city, or fly apart at the seams. None of which are particularly befitting his position, or, apparently, his family name.

"I'm old," Kes says. "Maybe I only remember the good parts."

"You're not that old, dad," Poe tells him, and when Kes gives him a skeptical look, he laughs. "Your words, then, not mine."

His father is uncannily calm, as if he does this sort of thing all the time, when as far as Poe knows, Kes has only done it once himself. Couldn't he at least be nervous for his only son?

"I feel old," Poe says quietly. "Too old for this. Too late."

"It's never too late," Kes tells him. "And you're never too old. You've been busy, Poe. Busy making sure this moment was possible. For you, for Finn, for millions of other beings across the galaxy."

"I know," Poe says. He runs a hand through his hair, because it feels unnatural, slicked back neatly instead of falling over his face, fresh from an X-wing helmet. His father rolls his eyes and tucks it back, like Poe is ten again. He playfully swats his dad's arm away and continues pacing.

"You've earned this, Poe," his father tells him. "More than anyone I know. You deserve a chance to live with your own happiness now that you've earned it for everyone else."

"Logically, that makes sense," Poe tells him. "I've said the same thing to half the people I know. But it still feels…"

"Don't say wrong," Kes says sharply. "Because you'll regret it if you do."

"It doesn't feel wrong, dad," Poe says wearily. "Except for when it does. There's still so much to do, and what if—"

"Stop." Kes stands before him, quelling his nervous pacing with two strong hands on his shoulders. Poe gazes into eyes that are looking at him with both fondness and exasperation. "I know exactly what you're going to say. The war is over, son. No one is going anywhere."

Poe blows out a long breath, looks at the ground. "That's what we thought about mom," he says softly. He regrets his words almost immediately, because they are not words for a happy day, yet the look on his father's face is more understanding than sad.

"But we had all those years together until she left us," he says quietly. "And I don't regret that, Poe. I miss her, yes, but I wouldn't change anything."

"I know, I know," Poe says, waving his dad off to pace some more. It's a big day, he's entitled to a little anxiety, isn't he? He is glad his dad is there to talk him through it. Though when Kes crosses his arms over his chest and raises an eyebrow in that way he's had since Poe was a kid and had done something stupid, Poe wonders about that particular wisdom.

"If you know all these things, why are arguing with me then? Pacing up and down like a caged anooba about to be thrown to a Sarlaac?"

"Come on dad, I'm not that dramatic," Poe protests, and there's that look again. Okay, maybe he is. He can't help it. He's flown countless missions, crashed numerous times; he's faced down TIE fighters and Stormtroopers, criminals and diplomats and royal generals; he's been captured and tortured and watched friends die. And yet…this. This is different. All of those things he can lock away, compartmentalize as a part of his life that he doesn't need to think about anymore. The war is over. But now, a new life is beginning, and is some ways, that is just as frightening.

"What are you really afraid of, son?" Kes asks softly. Poe goes back to the window to try staring out at the city again. He's suddenly filled with a longing for Yavin 4. This isn't his home, this is a world with its own complicated history and issues. He's been on Chandrila for six months, but it feels less like home than D'Qar, or even Ajan Kloss. The dress uniform feels stiff and unnatural, even if he did manage to clean up his old boots well enough to forgo the shiny new ones. He'd rather be in his flight suit, maybe even in the cockpit of his X-wing, doing what he does best…

"What if it doesn't work out?" Poe blurts, turning back to his dad, who motions him over to a bench to sit. Poe reluctantly joins him, but his right leg bounces nervously.

"What if _what_ doesn't work out?" Kes asks patiently.

"Everything!" Poe exclaims. He gestures vaguely around the room. "All of it. The Resistance, the Republic, living a whole new life that feels…"

"Yes?" Poe once again realizes how much patience his dad must have had to raise him and is thankful for it. "Feels what? Remember, don't say it feels wrong."

"But it does," Poe admits miserably. "Only not for the reasons you think."

"Let me guess," Kes says, leaning back and pretending to consider his answer. "You don't think you deserve this—any of it. You're scared of not living up to expectations, of failing at something so completely different than what you're used to doing."

Poe stares at him. "Is it that obvious?" he asks.

"No, it's normal," Kes says, patting his knee like a teenager and laughing. "I'm serious, son. Everyone feels like this, but in the end, it always works out the way it's supposed to. Fighting a war isn't natural, but living a normal life? Everyone can do that, in their own way. You deserve this, Poe. You deserve a happy ending."

Poe does not respond right away. "So you weren't nervous," he says. "Were you scared? Of not being good enough?"

"Pretty sure I never was good enough," Kes says, his voice deceptively light. "But you know what? I'm also pretty sure your mom felt the same way."

"How do you know?" Poe asks. Even after so many years, he loves it when his dad talks about his mom. In his mind, she is a shining beacon of love and strength, and knowing that his parents had the same doubts is oddly comforting.

"She was always apologizing," Kes says softly. "For still flying, still fighting, still looking to the stars. Only we both were, we couldn't leave the war until the fight was truly over. And then it was, so we did. It's over now, Poe. It's time to rebuild."

"Rebuild," Poe murmurs. "Dad, how do I rebuild something I never actually had?"

Kes stands and pulls him into an embrace. "But you did, Poe, and you're already doing it. You just get to make it more official now."

Poe holds him tight, doesn't want to let go. And as he stands there, he feels his nerves start to settle, or at least retreat to a place where he can manage them a little better. He thinks he hears something downstairs, several floors beneath them, but his face is pressed into his father's shoulder, and he breathes deep, trying not to worry about the future, but looking forward to it instead, despite his fears.

"Better?" Kes asks.

"I will be," Poe replies. "When this is all over."

Kes nods in understanding. "Do you have everything you need?"

"BB-8 does, yeah."

"And where is BB-8?"

"In charge of the music," Poe laughs. "I had to talk him out of lights."

Kes laughs with him. "Ready, then?"

"I—" Poe starts, but they are interrupted when the doors to his room crash open and Jessika Pava bursts in with Chewbacca right behind her.

"We've got to go!" Jess shouts, grabbing Poe's hand while Chewie takes Kes's arm. "Something's wrong."

"What?" Poe asks, momentarily confused as he's pulled out of the room. "Jess, what the hell is going on?"

Out in the hallway, he can hear the sound of fighting from downstairs, shouting and blasters and alarms, and Poe's blood runs cold. He pushes Jess toward his father instead and draws the weapon he put on with his dress uniform because he couldn't shake the habit. "Get him out of here. Stay with him, both of you."

"No, Poe!" she shouts, but Chewbacca is pulling her along now. "They're here for you. You and Finn."

"Best reason not to run," Poe says. "I'm not leaving him behind."

"He's with Rey, he'll be fine!" she calls. Poe rolls his eyes at her as he jogs backwards toward Rey's room.

"Then I'll check on her too!" he shouts. "Orders, Captain. Gamma code four zero three." Which had been their code for protecting an asset at any cost in the Resistance. His father is worth it.

Fortunately—and surprisingly—she doesn't challenge him, and she stays by his father and runs with Chewie down the hallway, away from the sound of fighting. "Poe!" Kes calls. "Be careful!"

"You too!" Poe shouts back. The fighting sounds louder below them, and he needs to be there, to help, to protect. "I'll see you when we're done! We'll reschedule the party!"

Because clearly, Poe is not getting married that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too long ago I made a comment about Poe being a nervous groom at his wedding. And very quickly I realized –well, I need to write that, don't I? So I started. And very quickly, the wedding was interrupted. But I wasn't sure why. Then I knew, and it grew into my longest SW story yet. This is the introduction. Viewpoints alternate between Poe and Finn. And if you follow me on Tumblr— yes, BB-8 found his way into the story. I still can't believe I wrote so much without him. Many thanks to everyone who’s helped me with this - kyrilu and d8rkmessngr, machine-gunn-eddie and avaantares, and anyone else I’ve flailed at! Thank you for reading! Updates will be every few days.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Are you nervous?"

Finn turns toward Rey and smiles, shakes his head. He feels something, but it's more excitement and anticipation than nerves, though yes, there is a bit of that. It's a big day, how could he not be nervous? He's restless more than anything, though, and that's because he has been looking forward to this for a long time.

"Good," she says. "I bet Poe's a mess."

He cocks his head, reaches out with his senses, and grins. "Of course he is, he's—" There is a ripple in the Force, or maybe in Poe, and he frowns. "Did you feel that?"

"No," she says. "I can usually only sense one thing when it comes to you and Poe." She grins at him, the implication clear. Where he might normally banter with her about it, something has him worried.

"Right, sorry about that," he tells her yet again, since it's not the first time she's mentioned it. "But this is different. I think—"

He is interrupted by the sounds of shouting below them, of blaster fire and something crashing. And of Poe's sudden fear—for him, and his father, and everyone else who's come to Chandrila to celebrate with them.

This time Rey feels it as well and they run from the room, instinctively turning toward where Poe is waiting with his father. Poe is already running toward them, his blaster drawn, while Jess and Chewbacca are running in the opposite direction with Poe's father. Good, Finn thinks. He wants Kes to be as far away from whatever's happening and as safe as possible.

"What's going on?" asks Rey. Poe squeezes Finn's arm, the only acknowledgement of their special day for now, as the sounds of fighting grow louder below them.

"No idea. Jess said they're here for me and Finn."

"Of course they are," Finn mutters, and Poe gives him that grin.

"We're irresistible," he says. "Let's go see what they want with us."

"Careful," says Rey. "There's a lot of them downstairs."

"Good to know," Poe murmurs, leading the way.

They are in one of the New Republic's buildings off Senate Plaza, where the former Resistance forces have been based for six months. It is an older building, with a grand lobby that leads up a marble staircase to an open balcony with several halls and meeting spaces on the second floor. Offices line the next two floors, with apartments above them. Though they did not broadcast the time or location of the ceremony that day, security was still tight, and only close friends and family were invited to celebrate with them. All of them have rooms on the sixth floor, and Poe leads them to the emergency staircases, rather than the lifts from the lobby. Finn feels a deep sense of unease.

When they come to the ground floor, Poe looks at them both, and without a word, Rey steps forward, her lightsaber ready. Poe kicks open the door and she steps through, straight into chaos.

There are at least three dozen masked fighters in the lobby of the building. It is a close-quarters fire fight, with blaster bolts flying everywhere. A small fire is burning in a corridor on the left, where some sort of grenade went off, and that's what set the alarms going. There is glass and debris scattered everywhere, with blaster marks already pocketing the walls. Everyone in the building is involved, whether they are shooting, in hand to hand combat, or are helping the injured; most are dressed in their best clothes.

Rey blocks the first several blaster bolts to come their way, allowing Finn and Poe to enter the melee. Finn knows he should be using his saber, but he's still more comfortable with a blaster, fighting side by side with Poe. They are immediately ducking and running and taking out the masked intruders, often by hand. Finn feels the bolts sizzle past his face as he watches Beaumont Kin go down with a leg wound, C'ai Threnalli fighting with an assailant almost twice his size, Rose Tico pulling an injured Duros pilot out of the way.

This was supposed to be a good day, the best day of his life.

And then Poe takes a shot in his left shoulder, and Finn feels the surge of pain as if it's his own. Poe staggers back against Finn, takes out the gunner with a single shot to the head before standing straighter. "This is ridiculous!" he shouts. "Who the hell are these people and where's the Chandrilan security force?"

It's a good question. Finn shakes his head, the feeling of unease from earlier growing stronger, broader.

"I think it's bigger than this," he calls breathlessly over his shoulder. "Than us."

"So I can't take it personally they wrecked our big day?" Poe asks. He shoots down a sniper from the second-floor balcony, who falls screaming into the lobby. Rey sends two masked intruders flying backward into the wall with a wave of her hand.

"No, I'm definitely taking it personally," Finn says, and shoots the nearest man in the thigh. "I wanted cake."

"I don't know what I'm more pissed off about—" Poe starts, then swears hard and dashes away. Finn follows instinctively, sensing Poe's sudden panic. Jess, Chewbacca, and his father have entered from an empty hallway on the far side of the lobby, weapons in hand. He wonders about the last time Kes Dameron was in a firefight.

They both stop talking as they concentrate on fighting their way across the lobby. Surprisingly enough, it is over quickly. The masked assailants were good, but not that good, and though the Resistance forces are beat up, every one of the assailants are down. As Finn surveys the damage, the Chandrilan security force finally shows up.

Finn can tell that Poe is furious—at their attackers, at the Chandrilans, at Jess and Chewbacca and his father. And yet he takes a deep breath before turning his back on all of them and taking Finn's elbows. "Are you all right?" he asks, quietly and intensely.

Finn wants to pull him into an embrace and breathe calm into him, but not here, in front of so many others. He nods and squeezes back. "Better than you," he points out, which is when Poe looks at his arm. He actually grins at the bloody burn that's obvious through the hole in his sleeve.

"Brilliant," he says. "I hate this uniform."

"What is it with you and that arm?" Finn murmurs. Rey appears and looks to Finn, who nods and steps between her and the rest of the lobby. She holds her hand over Poe's injury, healing it quickly. He thanks her with a quick hug.

"All right?" Finn asks Rey. She nods silently as Poe turns away and lets loose on Jess and Chewie, but by the time he gets to Kes, he pulls him into a rough embrace, burying his face in his father's shoulder.

"Why'd you come back?" he murmurs, staying close as Finn embraces Kes from the other side, checks him over. Rey moves to heal the gash on his cheek, probably from flying debris, but he waves her away.

"I'm not out to pasture yet," Kes replies. "I can still fight, especially when it comes to my son." He grips Finn's arm. "Both of them."

"Yeah, well, _that's_ not happening now," Finn murmurs, and Poe turns to him in alarm, takes his shoulders and looks him up and down.

"Why, are you hurt?" he asks. "Did you get hit? Rey, did you—"

Finn laughs, and Kes and Rey join him. "I meant this place is pretty shot up," he points out. "We're not having a party today, Poe. We need to check on everyone, find out what happened."

Poe nods and lets his hand slip down to Finn's, holding tight for longer than is strictly necessary. Which is when Rose Tico comes up to them then, uninjured aside from a ruined dress, with BB-8 rolling at her side. "BB-8 says that according to the planetary comm channels, we weren't the only building attacked."

"What?" asks Poe in surprise. The droid whistles anxiously at him, and he kneels down to pat BB-8 on the head. "Yeah, I'm all right, buddy, no worries. Are you telling me it's just a coincidence they hit us today?"

At that moment, a dozen security officers burst through the doors and stop in their tracks at the state of the lobby: dirty and smoke-filled, with bodies—many of them moaning—laying everywhere. A tall woman with red hair steps forward and directs them to start checking the assailants. Chandrilan medical personnel follow behind, moving toward injured Resistance members. The tall woman makes her way to where they are standing, watching her warily.

"Captain Gira, sir," she says with a salute to both Finn and Poe. "I was told to render assistance, but it seems you have it under control."

Poe raises an eyebrow. "We can take care of ourselves," he says. "When we need to." Captain Gira nods.

"Of course, sir. My apologies for not arriving sooner. There were two other attacks on the city. The New Republic Bank was hit right before you, and I've just had word the Chandrilan Academy of Science is under attack as well."

"Do they need assistance?" Finn asks immediately.

She shakes her head. "No, sir. And you should stay in place anyway, until we know whether it's safe for you to go out. You could be in more danger if you leave."

Finn frowns, already feeling trapped. He tries to think of the connection—the Resistance, a bank, and a science academy. It doesn't make sense, unless that was the point: random violence. They won't know until they start questioning the attackers.

Poe is glancing around the lobby as if he has the same idea— there are at least forty attackers strewn about, dead or injured—and his eyes narrow as he stops on two officers nearby who are holding a man between them. He's been shot in the leg and is bleeding profusely, his head lolling toward his chest. Poe strides over and Finn follows, BB-8 trailing behind them.

Poe lifts the man's head up, drops it and turns away. He runs a hand through his hair in frustration and BB-8 gives a shrill whistle that brings Jess Pava running over. Finn stares at the man, trying to place him and figure out why it would upset Poe so much, but before he can say anything else, Poe turns around and punches the man hard in the face; BB-8 beeps in approval.

"Sir," Captain Gira protests from behind them, but she doesn't sound too upset so Finn isn't too worried about Poe's temper.

"Seriously?" Poe asks, grabbing the man's shirt and pulling him close. "You?"

Finn doesn't recognize the man, but apparently Jess does, swearing under her breath.

"Do you know him?" the Chandrilan captain asks.

"He's with the Ranc gang," Poe says. "Out of Kaddak. He's probably here for us. For me."

The man's head lolls up, blood dripping from his split lip. "Poe Dameron, nice to see you again."

"Can't say the same for you, Soro Bulut."

"You remember me!"

Poe crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, I remember all criminal thugs who've tried to kill me." He pauses. "Multiple times." BB-8 rolls up and practically shrieks at Bulut.

The man grins maniacally. "Couldn't pass up the chance to try again."

"Who're you working for?" Poe demands. "Who sent you?"

"No one."

"He's lying," says Finn. He may not be that strong in the Force, but it's pretty obvious anyway.

"Of course he is," Poe says. "He was way down in line with the gang last time I ran into them. He couldn't organize something like this."

"I could too!" Soro Bulut protested. "I set this all up myself."

"Bullshit," says Poe. "No way you could hit three places at once, not on a planet like Chandrila. Look around." He gestures at the lobby of the New Republic building, where every single one of Bulut's people is down or in captivity. "If this is the best you've got, I hate to see what the other hits look like."

"Who put you up to this?" Finn asks, stepping forward. Soro Bulut is a small, bulky man, with the oddly colored eyes of a Keshian, and a tattoo that covers the side of his neck. He looks Finn up and down with a squint and sneers.

"No one," he replies. "I wanted to see the happy couple. Did I ruin the big day? I'd apologize, only don't feel one click of regret. Not after what your _husband_ did to us." He practically spits the word.

Poe grabs him again, pulls his fist back, but it's Jess who puts an arm out to stop him. "He's not worth it," she says softly. Poe steps back, but BB-8 zooms into the gangster, and Bulut kicks him away.

"Jessika Pava!" Bulut exclaims. "The gang's all here, even the kriffing droid!" He offers a fake frown. "No, wait. Someone's missing. That's right, L'ampar went down last time we met, didn't he? And Wexley? I heard he blew himself up at Exegol. You're losing your touch, Dameron."

To Finn's surprise, Poe drops the man's shirt and shoves him away. "Get him out of here," he tells the Chandrilan officers. "We need to check on our people." He turns his back, but Bulut calls out.

"I'm not talking to anyone but you, Dameron!" he calls. Poe waves him off, but Finn can tell it's taking a lot of effort for Poe not to have another go at the Keshian.

"Then it'll be awfully quiet in jail." He ignores the shouts from the door as Bulut is dragged away and they return to where the others are waiting.

"Well, this is not good," says Poe. His tone is light, but the tension in his body in clear. Finn can see the tight set of his jaw, the fists at his side. Bad enough that Poe's past has come to find him on what should have been a perfect day; for this skug to rub Wexley's death in it made it even worse.

"I'm glad Karè isn't here," Jess says quietly. Poe nods and BB-8 beeps sadly.

"She would have gone after him for sure," Poe says.

"And we shouldn't?" Finn can't help but suggest. "We need to know what he knows, because he definitely knows something. These things are all connected somehow." He looks to Rey, hoping for confirmation.

"I agree," she says, and Chewbacca echoes her. "This isn't random. Not here, not today."

"I don't think so either." Poe takes a deep breath and glances around the lobby, frowning. "How did we do?" he suddenly asks. "Where's Connix—Connix!" he shouts, motioning her over from where she's helping Larma d'Acy with a cut on her face. "Casualty report," he says when she hurries over. "Any idea yet?"

"We've got a few major injuries," says Connix, who looks remarkably put together for having come out of a firefight moments earlier; the only sign of it are a few hairs out of place. "Medical is already working on them. Arana took the worst hit, but says he'll be fine. A lot of minor injuries, but no losses."

"Good," says Poe. "It better stay that way." He exchanges a look with his father, then Finn. "All right, here's what I think. We should split up and look into this before Chandrila does, because if I know them, it'll be days before they figure it out."

"Agreed," says Finn. "Plus it's personal." The others nod around them.

"Finn, why don't you head out to the academy with Rey, and I'll go to the bank with Jess. Find out anything you can. Connix, coordinate things here with the authorities. Chewbacca, I want you on security." They all nod, and Poe rubs his face, eyes slipping closed for a minute before he opens them to gaze at each one of them directly. "If everyone's all right, we leave in five. Finn, can I talk to you?" He doesn't wait for an answer, but takes Finn's hand and leads him behind the staircase, to a dark corner in the back. Glancing around, he takes Finn's face in his hands and kisses him hard.

"Whoa," Finn says when they're done, because of course he's going to kiss Poe back first. "You all right?"

"Are you?" Poe asks instead, running his hands up and down Finn's arms. "You're not hurt anywhere?"

"I'm fine," Finn tells him. "I didn't get shot, and no one has a personal vendetta against me, at least not today. So I'll ask again. Are _you_ all right?"

Poe rubs his chin, and Finn can see that his hand is slightly unsteady. "I'm rattled," he admits, which is a big deal for him and Finn tries not to show his surprise. It is, in part, a testament of how close they've grown, how comfortable they are sharing such things. But it also means it's _bad,_ and Finn knows he's going to have to be the one who keeps Poe settled.

"Quick background on this guy," Finn says. "Fill me in so I'm not working at a disadvantage." He's keeping it objective, and can tell immediately that Poe understands why and appreciates it. He stands straighter and nods.

"Back when Black Squadron was trying to find Lor San Tekka, we kept running into this First Order agent—Terex. He was with the First Order Security Bureau. He was a Stormtrooper with the Empire, then went off on his own and took over the Ranc gang before joining the First Order. And then back to the Rancs."

"Got it. Bad guy."

"Really bad guy," Poe says. "He kept slaves as leverage, and took my tech's wife hostage. Which was how Terex always knew where we would be, and what we were doing. It was bad," he sighs. "For a while I didn't know who it was—Snap, or Jess, or Karè. L'ulo." He swallows hard. "In the end, Oddy turned on them, got his wife back, and was killed when he sacrificed himself to blow up one of their cruisers." Finn whistles at that. Impressive. "But we lost L'ulo as well. And instead of stringing Terex up, we turned him back over to the First Order."

"Then what?" Finn asks.

"They gave him a cybernetic implant to keep him nice and obedient, but it didn't quite work. Last intel we had on him was he got out of it and disappeared. But this…this is something he would do, Finn. I know it, in my gut. It has to be him. This guy, Bulut, he's nothing. If the Rancs are involved—and it's no coincidence one of them is here, today—then Terex is behind it."

"Did we ever see any intel on him? Or the Rancs?" Finn asks.

Poe shakes his head. "I haven't seen anything on either for a long time, no. Once Kin is stable, let's get him on it. But until we hear otherwise, we assume he's behind this, and we assume there's a reason."

"Besides you?"

Poe's shoulders slump. "Besides _us,"_ he says. "This was too sloppy. Disrupting our day was a bonus. There's something else going on."

"Something to do with the other two attacks." Finn is certain there is more to it, and Poe nods in agreement.

"What I don't understand is why hit a science academy? What have they got that a bunch of gangsters would want?

"We'll figure it out, Poe. And we'll stop him."

Poe pulls him into an embrace, turns his face into Finn's neck the way he likes to every time. "Just be careful," he murmurs, then steps back to look into Finn's eyes. "I'm really sorry about our day."

"Not your fault," Finn tells him, and kisses him soundly. "We can rebook."

Poe smiles and takes his hand, leads them back to the others. "Yeah, well, I already have an idea about that. Let's clean up this mess and then we can start planning."

Poe squeezes his hand and walks over to his dad and gives him a hug, says something to Chewbacca about staying at his side. Kes argues, but Chewie agrees, and Poe motions to Jess. With a wave at Finn, they leave to make their way to the bank. Captain Gira protests, insisting they stay inside, but Poe ignores her and walks right out. Rey comes up to Finn's side.

"You okay?" she asks quietly, hand touching his arm lightly. He presses his other hand against hers; sometimes he needs to be grounded as well.

"I'm fine," he says. "Mostly pissed off. Let's go see what this is all about so I can get married." She nods, and they too ignore Captain Gira and head outside to find their way to the academy, determined to stop whatever is going on in Hannah City.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank the stars for Wookiepedia. I'm trying my best with the worldbuilding here, but it's a big galaxy so who knows. I did read the comics, though, and that's were Terex is from. Soro Bulut is my own guy. Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"This is not good," Finn mutters under his breath as they leave the Chandrilan Academy of Sciences. Memories of the Battle of Exegol return fresh to his mind, not something he wanted to remember on such a day. "Really not good."

He can sense that Rey is unsettled as well. For her, the reminder of Exegol must be even harder. She had died there, after all, only to come back to them through those mystical Force powers Finn doesn't think he'll ever understand. When he turns to look at her, he sees both fear and determination in her eyes.

"We have to stop them," she says.

"Of course we do," Finn tells her. "And we will. We have to find them first."

"I can't believe they got away with it," Rey murmurs. They are walking quickly to where they left their transport. The area around them is still crowded with onlookers, clearly curious about what's happened. They've probably heard about the other two attacks by now, and Finn is surprised there are still beings out on the streets. But there haven't been any reports of more attacks, so perhaps the hope is that it's over.

Only Finn knows it's not.

They are quiet on the way back to their New Republic headquarters, where they find an increased security force and a number of medical personnel continuing to treat injuries. Finn frowns, hoping they haven't lost anyone. Rose is in the lobby, still in her ruined dress, sitting with Beaumont Kin as they work furiously on several datapads.

"Why aren't you in the hospital?" Finn demands. Kin is stretched out on a blanket, his leg wrapped in a pressure bandage.

"He wouldn't leave," Rose answers before the older man can speak for himself. "He insisted on looking through all our intel on the Ranc gang."

"I heard about a First Order agent," Kin says. "I tracked Bulut to the Ranc gang, where he's been slobbering for years. I'm guessing your man is their leader, Terex. Last seen with the First Order."

"That's him. You can look into it after getting your leg fixed," Finn points out. Kin waves him off.

"I'm fine," he says. "This is more important."

Finn glances at Rey, who nods and kneels next to Kin. He looks surprised; not many people are aware of Rey's ability, and few have seen her use it. It's not like she can heal entire armies of their injuries, and the more people who know, the more that might be demanded of her. With her ability somewhat lessened due to the breaking of her connection with Ben Solo, it takes more out of her to share her own essence through the Force. She's tired, and it weakens her other abilities—to fight, to sense things, to move things. Still, Kin's injury is serious enough and they need him working. After removing the bandage, she holds her hand over the ugly wound in his calf, and like magic, it soon closes. Kin breathes a sigh of relief, reaches down to rub his leg.

"That is so weird," he says. "But thank you. Are you all right?"

She smiles at him. "I'll be fine. It's not like you were about to lose your leg or anything." The more serious the injury, the more it affects her to heal it. It is not a power Finn envies.

Kin nods at her in gratitude; Rose is watching with awe. Finn clears his throat.

"So, did you find anything on this guy?"

"Still looking," says Kin. "But there's nothing to indicate he was killed in action. He could very well still be alive."

"What did you find out about the academy attack?" asks Rose.

Finn and Rey exchange a look. "Oh no," Rose says. "What is it?"

"It's bad," Finn tells her. "Is Poe back yet?"

"He's upstairs with his father and the others." Finn nods, holds out his hand to her.

"You should hear this, too. Kin, can you make it upstairs?"

They take the lift to the sixth floor, where they find a makeshift Resistance meeting in Poe's rooms. It almost reminds Finn of the days before Exegol, except that they never met anywhere half as nice, and they never had guards stationed outside the doors. Poe is pacing the room, his father watching worriedly. Poe stops when Finn enters and hurries over, embracing him close, touching Rey's arm.

"Find anything?" he asks. "Because ours was nothing but a bank heist. Made off with millions of credits in the middle of the day." He shakes his head. "What the hell kind of security is that?"

Finn whistles low. "Bad security, but an impressive haul. Do we know who it was?"

"Not yet, but I'm sure it's connected to Bulut and the Ranc gang," Poe answers. "It has to be. What about the academy hit?"

Finn glances around. "You should all probably sit down."

Pava swears under her breath but doesn't leave her place at the window. Poe doesn't sit either.

"Tell us," he orders, crossing his arms over his chest, the hole in the upper arm of his dress uniform a vivid reminder of the firefight earlier. "What happened?"

Finn takes a deep breath to launch into the story, his stomach clenching as the implications hit him once more.

"They broke into a lab," he starts. "Top secret, underground. Small stealth team, high tech—they went in and killed everyone, took what they wanted, and escaped too easily."

Poe is frowning. "All right. Okay. A lab. Was it guarded?"

"Minimal," Finn replies. "Like I said—top secret, and apparently, they didn't want to draw attention to it with more security."

"That's their first mistake," Kes murmurs from where he is sitting, elbows on his knees and listening closely.

"But not the worst," Finn replies.

"Isn't this place a school?" asks Connix. "Why would they have a secret lab with something worth stealing and killing for?"

"My guess is the academy is a nice cover for their big underground project," says Finn.

Poe nods, as if he knows what's coming. "So what's the secret underground project? What did they get?"

Finn takes another deep breath. "An axial superlaser from one of the Star Destroyers on Exegol."

There is complete, devastating silence. Rey is staring at the floor, everyone else is staring at Finn.

"No, no," says Poe, shaking his head. Chewbacca lets out a low moan. "That's not possible. That planet was wiped clean, every one of those ships went down! We've had people watching ever since. There's almost no way anyone could get their hands on something like that."

"And yet they did," Finn replies. "They had a planet-killing cannon right here on Chandrila, and now it's been stolen."

"Kriffing hell!" Poe shouts, turning and kicking out at a chair, startling them all. He whirls back. "What the hell were they thinking? Why would they bring something like that here? Are they insane?"

Rey speaks up for the first time. "They were studying it," she says, glancing up from where she is sitting on the side. "That's what they said, that they were studying it. They want to find a way to stop it, a shield of some sort, or a way to counteract the laser."

If possible, Poe's voice goes even higher. "What?" he asks again. "They thought by taking apart one of those things they could find a way to stop it? It blows up planets! You can't stop that kind of fire power with a damn shield!"

Even Rose looks stunned at the audacity of such a thing, shaking her head in denial. Rey sighs. "They were scared," she says quietly. "They want to protect their people."

Poe looks ready to yell some more, and Finn can sense his partner's frustration with Rey's sympathy, so he holds up a hand to stop any conflict between them. "Look, I'm pretty sure they know they've fragged it up, big time. It's probably the only reason the director of the project actually told us given how classified it is. So, the question isn't why anymore, or even how the hell they got away with it, but what are we going to do about it?"

Poe blows out another explosive breath and starts pacing again. BB-8 beeps sadly as he watches. Finn is silent, not sure what to say. It is Rose who speaks up.

"We have to find whoever did this, and stop them from selling it, or even studying it."

Poe whirls on her, his eyes wide. "We have to stop them from _using_ it!" he exclaims. "Why else would they steal such a thing if they don't plan to blow some planet out of existence?"

"We don't know—" she starts, but Poe cuts her off.

"We assume," he says. "We assume the worst here, because we know what those things can do. We've seen it. We were _there."_ Finn can feel the fury pouring off him. "They weren't, these scientists and engineers who think they can –" He cuts himself off, takes a deep breath, changes direction completely.

"What's the connection?" he asks, his voice more steady, and Finn blinks, trying to follow. "What's the connection between us, the bank, and this superweapon?"

No one answers until Jess speaks up quietly from where she's still standing by the window. "Bulut said he was here for you," she points out. "And you were at Exegol. And somehow a bit of Exegol ended up here."

"And the money?" asks Poe.

"Bankroll the operation?" she suggests, and Finn nods. It makes sense, but the connection is thin, the motivation unclear.

"We need to talk to this Bulut guy," he says, and he and Poe exchange a long glance. Given their earlier confrontation with the gangster, it is not something either of them looks forward to, but Poe nods once, and this time Finn takes charge.

"All right, Poe and I are going to see the nerf-herder who ruined our wedding." Poe nods in silent agreement. "Rose and Kin, keep on tracking down this Terex guy that Bulut used to work for. If he's the one behind all this, we need to know. Get C3-PO to help."

"We'll find him," says Rose, and C3-PO agrees. She doesn't usually work intel, but she's got a good eye for details and knows her way around computers and datapads. Between her, Kin, and the droid, they will find any mention of Terex that's out there.

"Connix, can you keep coordinating clean up here? I'm sure the Chandrilans will want to help," he adds. Poe scoffs while Connix acknowledges it with a smile.

"And the reception?" she asks. Finn looks to Poe this time.

"We'll reschedule," he says. "Right now, priority is our people. Get them treated, cleaned up, and then let them eat. Take the food to anyone in the hospital, their stuff is usually terrible. And share it with anyone else who was at the bank or the academy as well," he adds.

Finn turns to Rey. "I know you don't want to stay," he starts, and she shakes her head.

"No, I should come with you."

"But we need you here," he finishes, and she makes a face, because of course she knew he was going to say that. If he and Poe are leaving together, they need her to stay in case of any more emergencies. She can help with the cleanup, and especially with security. He shakes his head when she starts to protest. "We don't need—" and he makes a funny wave with his hand—"but I'd feel a lot better if I knew you were here. Bad enough we'll be together—"

"Hey!" says Poe.

"—but put all three of us in one place, we can't be sure that they won't try again if they see the chance."

"That man said he was here for _your_ wedding, not for me," she points out.

"Taking out a Jedi is always going to earn the bad guys bonus points," Finn tells her. "Please stay. You and Chewie can eat all the cake you want from downstairs."

Chewbacca agrees and tells her to stop complaining. She throws him a look over her shoulder. "Fine, but we're saving some food for you both. It was supposed to be your wedding reception, after all."

"We'll plan another," Poe says. Finn is somewhat surprised at his easygoing attitude and half wonders if Poe is relieved, given how nervous he'd been earlier. As if he can hear Finn's thoughts, Poe rolls his eyes at Finn. "I promise. Told you I already had an idea about that, didn't I?"

"Knowing you and your ideas," Finn murmurs, and there are grins all around.

"Hey, I have good ideas," Poe says. "Like let's go see this kriffwit and find out what he knows." He walks over to his dad and lays a hand on his shoulder. Finn squeezes Rey's arm and hurries after him, leaving the others behind. They head back down to the lobby, where they find Captain Gira and explain their mission. She does not stop them this time, but drives them personally to the security forces headquarters to meet with Soro Bulut.

Finn just hopes they get better answers than the ones they've already found.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got nothing. Let a girl know if you're reading, though? Poe questioning Soro Bulut is next (this weekend) and it was a fun one to write! Thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Poe can't wait to get his hands on Soro Bulut for ruining their big day. He half wonders if he should let Finn ask the questions, but Poe has met the guy before, knows Terex and the Ranc gang, and Finn can do the imposing thing much better than Poe ever could, silently staring with a frown and arms crossed over his chest. So, Poe will rankle, and Finn will intimidate. He's not worried about Chandrila security protocol; he's worried about the fate of Chandrila.

Bulut has his hands handcuffed in front of him to a metal table in a dark questioning room. Two guards flank him, while Poe sits opposite with Finn next to him. Poe pretends to look at a datapad, takes his time reading, and then leans back, studying the Keshian before him. He's clearly starting to sweat.

"Well," says Poe. "You said you'd only talk to me, so here I am." He pauses and cocks his head sideways. "How are you, Soro?"

The Keshian narrows his eyes. "Been better, but at least they bandaged the hole in my leg."

Poe nods slowly. "Hope you don't limp since they didn't give you a proper bacta treatment."

"Badge of honor," Bulut replies, but it's all bravado. Poe crosses his leg, throws one arm over the back of his chair.

"Let's talk about this badge of honor," he says. "What exactly are you receiving it for? A failed attack on New Republic forces in which your entire team was captured or killed? Shouldn't you be looking at a demotion, at the very least? Never mind that you'll be in prison, most likely awaiting execution."

"Chandrila doesn't execute political prisoners," Bulut replies too quickly.

"You're not a political prisoner," Poe points out. "You're a gangster and a terrorist who attacked a New Republic building during an official New Republic function. So tell me, Soro, what was in it for you, when the chances of making it out alive were so low as to barely exist?"

Bulut leans forward and grins. "It was fun. I've never shot up a wedding before."

That makes Poe's blood boil, but he feels a wave of calm wash over him, and knows it's from Finn, making sure he takes his time, at least builds to his big moment, the explosion of anger he knows is inevitable. A deep breath settles his furious retort.

"Well, it's not like we can't do it another day," Poe says. "All of _my_ people survived, we've got all the food we could possibly eat, and I think the weather is supposed to be nice tomorrow, right, Finn?" Finn nods silently, as expected. "Sorted. We'll do it tomorrow."

"No, you won't." Bulut sneers, but there is little venom behind it, and more fear than anything.

"No, we probably won't," Poe says, shaking his head with mock sadness. "Because I'm going to stop whatever your boss has planned for that axial superlaser he stole from the academy this morning."

The flash of panic in Bulut's eyes confirms Poe's worst suspicions: someone else is indeed behind the attacks, and Poe would bet his X-wing it's Terex.

"Now we're getting somewhere," he murmurs. Sulut glances at Finn, who must be glowering even more because the Keshian quickly looks away. Poe checks his datapad, thinks about how to approach this, and goes with his gut.

"Look, you don't have to tell us anything," he begins. "Although you said you'd only talk to me and I did come all the way down here. But I get it. You wanted to ruin our day, have some fun, help out your boss. Easy job given the lax security around here, and probably for quite a bit of money." Poe stares him in the eye. "But it didn't work out that way. You didn't ruin our day. Your entire team is dead or in jail. That doesn't sound like fun to me, especially when your boss got away with the money _and_ the weapon. You're not going to see any fame, any glory, any credits. You're stuck here now. Forever."

Poe leans back again, trying to look as casual as he can. "But you tell me what your boss is going to do with that laser, and I'll help you out. Put in a good word, make sure the Chandrilans treat you fairly, that sort of thing. You got family?

Bulut snorts. "I'm a gangster, of course I don't."

"Of course," Poe murmurs. "Still, it'd be nice if someone knew what happened. I'll let the gang on Kaddak know. Hell, I'll even play it up, tell them you shot up my wedding and ruined the big day. You'll be a fragging hero, won't you?"

"They'll know," Bulut sneers. "Everyone will know what I did."

Poe snaps forward. "Everyone will know how you _failed,_ Soro. How you waltzed in and were taken out in twenty minutes. How you got shot in the leg and lost your team. How I still got married and had the biggest party in Hannah City to celebrate." Bulut looks more and more annoyed with each sentence, but Poe senses it's still not quite working. Time to switch tactics.

He stands. "Well, I can see you're not interested in your legacy. I'm going to go see what the others have to say." He turns and gestures to Finn, who simply nods and follows, though Poe can tell Finn is not exactly sure what Poe is playing at. Before they get to the door, Bulut calls from behind them.

"Wait!" he says. "No one else is gonna talk. They don't know what's going on here."

Poe turns slowly. "And you do? You're that close with Terex?" He makes sure his skepticism is clear.

"I'm his second," Bulut says proudly, and now Poe knows for sure the former First Order agent is behind it all. "He told me everything, personally gave me the Dameron job because he trusted me to get it done."

This time Poe can feel a wave of anger from Finn. Dameron job? Is that what bothers him? Poe walks back to the table, putting some saunter to it, and leans over.

"He trusted the wrong guy," Poe says softly, almost seductively. "Or maybe you did. I think he set you up. He and I go way back, you know. If he really wanted me dead, he'd have done it himself."

"No," says Bulut, but he's already cracking with the smallest flicker of doubt. "He said I was the only one who could do this for him."

"And you tried," Poe says, patting his hand in the cuffs. "You did, but he knew you wouldn't make it out. He used you as a distraction, that's all. Gave you the job that was the least important."

"No!" Bulut shouts this time. "Your place was the most important hit of all! He gave me the best team, weapons, plans, everything. He hates you, and now I know why. I will take you down one day!" He is struggling against the cuffs now, riled up like Poe needs him.

"One day." Poe nods, then leans closer and whispers. "But not today." He stands back, all business. "Today your boss got away with several million credits and a superlaser that he could probably sell for twice that. And he left you behind to take the fall. Tell me what he's going to do with it, and I'll make sure you don't fall too hard."

"No," says Bulut, but it's more of a sob than a protest. "They'll kill me."

"You have nothing to lose." Poe shrugs. "You're a dead man either way. Because the New Republic will execute you for war crimes, Bulut. You helped steal a weapon capable of destroying an entire planet. One of these things took out Kijimi. You'll be held accountable for that."

"I didn't blow up Kijimi!" he wails.

"You _will_ be held accountable for the next Kijimi," Poe hisses. "Unless you tell me where he is and what he's going to do with it."

Bulut's eyes are wide, his face twisted in fear. For some reason he looks to Finn, as if looking for mercy somewhere in the room. Finn stares him down, then raises an eyebrow. "I suggest you tell the man. Before he gets really serious." The Keshian sucks in a frightened breath as he looks back to Poe.

"Or before I leave," Poe tells him. "And rip it out of one of your other men. The hard way." He grins, the mean one he hates using except in these situations. "Something else they can blame you for, before they kill you slowly in your bed when you least expect it."

"Fine!" Bulut shouts, shaking in his chair. "I'll tell you what I know! Just make sure I get out of this alive."

Poe nods once. "Deal. Why does Terex want a superlaser?"

Sulut is breathing heavily and takes a deep breath to settle himself. Poe half wonders if the guy wet his pants. "Same thing he always wants: power."

"Does he want to bring back the First Order?" Poe demands. "Because that ship has crashed and burned."

"No, he's done with them, has been for years." Sulut pauses. "He wants to rebuild himself, bring back the might of the Empire because they got it right. He says he'll do it system by system, no matter how many he has to destroy."

Poe nods, senses that Finn needs to say anything and steps aside. "Are you telling me this guy actually believes he can build a new galactic empire with one superlaser?" Finn asks. "Because he can't."

"You don't know him," snaps Bulut. "If he says he can do it, he can do it. He's willing to play the long game."

"So what, he's going to start collecting superlasers and set himself up as the next emperor?" Poe asks, letting the sarcasm drip heavily. "Because I'm with Finn, he doesn't stand a chance. Tell us where he is before he can embarrass himself too much."

Bulut shakes his head stubbornly. "He won't. Terex is brilliant, he knows exactly what he's doing. He's been planning this for years, waiting for the First Order to fall. And he's going to start with something that everyone will remember."

Poe rubs his chin, trying to puzzle it out. It sounds like the kind of thing the former First Order agent would do, and yet, something is still missing. "Does he have any ships?" he asks. "To use this thing? Because he needs a specially fitted Star Destroyer to power it, you know. Has he got himself one?"

Bulut does not answer, but the look on his face tells Poe everything. There is no Star Destroyer.

"Who's he going to sell it to then?" Finn demands. "He can't use it, so who's he working with?"

"No one," Bulut mutters. "He works alone."

"Without a big ship, right," Poe murmurs. "You're not earning your keep, Soro, so keep talking. Where's he going with it? And you lie to us, I will make your life a living hell."

Bulut stares at him, and then a sneer crosses his face. "Fine. I'll tell you the rest, but you'll have to figure it out yourself, because all he told me was that he's going back to the beginning of the end, to end the new beginning." He sits back and nods his head once. "That's all I know. And it's something big."

Poe stares at him, and Bulut holds his gaze. He glances at Finn, who nods discreetly, so Poe steps back.

"All right," he says. "I guess that's all you know. Thank you, Soro. I hope you make it out of this alive so you can see him go down for it."

"You said you'd protect me!" Bulut shouts.

"And I keep my word," Poe tells him as they turn to leave. "I'll leave instructions on my way out. Nice to see you again."

Bulut mindlessly shouts his name, cursing a blue streak. Poe steps out and as soon as the door shuts, he lets his shoulders sag.

"Damn," he says. "I hate doing that."

"Why?" asks Finn. "You're pretty good at it. Maybe you should join the security force here."

"No way," says Poe. "That's hard work. Too many mind games."

"Like trying to figure out what the hell 'go back to the beginning of the end to end the new beginning' means?"

Poe sighs. It's a riddle if there ever was one, and he's not fond of riddles. He's not fond of interrogations, of politics, of the mind games. He wants to be back in his ship fighting the bad guys, not trying to figure out what the hell they're going to do next to outsmart a madman.

"Come on, let's run it by the others, see if they can figure it out."

They stop by the commander's office with instructions for Bulut; Poe keeps his word and can only hope his name and rank is enough to ensure decent treatment. They find Captain Gira, who drives them back to the Resistance headquarters, where they were supposed to be married only a few hours ago.

But Poe is all right with it, because they can do it another day. It would have been far worse had Bulut attacked during the ceremony, or after. He's grateful their day wasn't ruined, because that's not how he wants to remember his wedding. They can plan another, and make a better memory. And he already knows exactly where he wants to do it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should probably start adding my usual disclaimers. I am not a trained law enforcement officer familiar with interrogation techniques, nor am I a supervillain well versed with insane plots of destruction and revenge. I'm just a girl who likes to use her imagination to write stories. Which I hope people are reading and enjoying. Let a girl know what you think is going on? Thank you!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"The beginning of the end to end the beginning?" Jess asks as they once again meet in Poe's rooms. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It's what Terex told Bulut, probably just to annoy us," Poe grumbles, and Finn can see how frustrated he is. "Kriffing riddles."

"We can figure it out," says Kes Dameron, looking thoughtfully around the room before settling on his son. "You said this man, Terex, was with the First Order before he joined the Ranc gang?"

Poe nods. "He took over the gang after the fall of the Empire, joined the First Order, and then went back to Kaddak. And then the First Order got him."

"After the fall of the Empire," murmurs Kes. He chews his bottom lip much like Poe does, only Kes is clearly thinking and not flirting. "Do we know what he did before that? Before the fall of the Empire?"

Finn exchanges a look with Poe, who frowns before his face suddenly lights up. "He was a Stormtrooper," he says, as if that explains everything. Kes glances up with a look in his eyes that matches his son. They've figured it out.

"There's your answer, then," says Kes, and Poe grins. Finn glances at Rey, who looks equally as confused, but Jess beats them both to the grumbling.

"Care to share your big insight with the rest of us mere mortals?" she asks, her voice dry. "So we can stop this guy?"

"He's referring to the beginning of the end of the _Empire_ ," says Kes. "Which means—"

"Jakku," finishes Poe, sounding so proud that Finn almost laughs when Kes shakes his head.

"No, son, the _beginning_ of the end. Jakku was the last major battle, but before that—"

"Endor," says Poe. "The battle you and mom fought in."

"I think you need to go back even earlier," Kes murmurs.

"The beginning of the end," Poe repeats, clearly puzzled once more. Finn thinks hard, and comes to the realization before Poe does.

"The Battle of Yavin," he says. "The destruction of the first Death Star."

"The beginning of the end," says Poe, but he holds up a hand. "What about Scariff? Without those plans, there would have been no Yavin. And the war continued for another four years!"

"Taking out the Death Star was the first major victory for the Rebellion," Kes tells them. "I know, I was there, remember? And Poe…if this man hates you so much, he'll know your connection to Yavin."

"He wants to end the beginning, though," Poe points out. "The beginning of what?"

"This," Kes says, waving his hand around the room. "Rebuilding the New Republic. Your role in it. But perhaps even more…the beginning of your new life with Finn."

BB-8 lets out a little wail, and Poe jumps out of his chair. "Shit! He's heading to Yavin!"

"Wait, wait," says Finn. "Why's he going to Yavin, then? He could have got us right here on Chandrila."

"Not if it's personal," Jess murmurs. "Not if it's about Poe."

Finn shakes his head. "He can't use this thing without a Star Destroyer anyway! And as far as we know, he hasn't got a Star Destroyer."

"Maybe he's meeting someone there," suggests Rose. "To sell it."

"No, Bulut said Terex was going to do something everyone would remember," Finn says. "Something big. That sounds like he's going to use it."

"But how?" asks Beaumont Kin, speaking up for the first time. "We've heard nothing on rogue Star Destroyers, and nothing out of Yavin 4." C3-PO echoes his agreement.

"We had nothing on a kriffing axial superlaser making it off Exegol either," Finn points out. Kin frowns, and Finn feels bad, as if he is criticizing Kin's intelligence network. Which he's not, not really. It does bother him, but he also knows that there are always ways to hide. It's the Chandrilans who have made the bigger error, in bringing home to study only to have it stolen.

"Exegol is different," Poe says. "We've got people watching now, but the first month was a mess. Anything could have happened. This is Yavin. It's small, it's close—we'd know if something was going down on Yavin. Right, dad?"

"People will always have secrets and ways to hide them," Kes replies. "But I think you're right about Yavin. I haven't heard anything, and I certainly don't think Yavin is hiding a secret Star Destroyer. We don't see a lot of interstellar traffic."

"Which makes it a perfect place to hide," Finn argues.

Poe is biting his thumb as he thinks. "Do we have any idea how he got this thing away?" he asks. "They're pretty big for hiding." Rey answers.

"They didn't take the entire thing, it's much too large," she says. "They took the core of it, using the same underground tunnels the lab was using."

Poe nods and turns to Rose. "So he doesn't have it all, but maybe he can use what he has some other way. Even if he did have a Star Destroyer, it would take days, if not weeks, to figure out a way to use it properly, right?" When she nods, he continues. "What else could he do with it?"

Finn sees where Poe is going, and a flash of insight hits him with alarm. "Could he build a bomb? Set the core to detonate somehow and let it take out a planet that way?"

"Probably," she says, sounding hesitant. "I've never seen one, so I don't know how they work, but almost anything can be rigged to explode. And if it was done right, yes, it might destroy a planet, I suppose."

"But then he'd be out a superlaser," Poe argues. "What the hell's the point of stealing it only to destroy it taking out one planet?"

Chewbacca answers, and Finn's heart stutters in his chest. He can't imagine how Poe must feel.

"He's right," Kes says quietly. "To get back at you."

"It makes sense," Finn tells Poe, who is starting to look worried. "If he hated you before, then he must really hate you now that you've taken out Starkiller _and_ the First Order fleet."

"Or he's glad to see the First Order ruined," Poe protests. "Bulut said he wants to bring back the Empire. How can he do that by cashing in his only bargaining chip?"

"We don't know what other cards he's holding," Kes offers.

"Or if Bulut was telling the truth," Finn adds. "He was set up on Chandrila, he could have been set up to tell you anything."

"We actually believe this guy shows up on Chandrila to crash my wedding, grab some credits, and steal a superweapon—all so he can blow up my home planet in some sort of twisted revenge for something that happened years ago? No way." Poe shakes his head and starts pacing. "That's insane."

"I think he's right," Rey says quietly.

"The Force telling you that?" Poe snaps, then holds up his hands, runs them over his face. "Sorry, I'm sorry, but this…this is can't be happening. Not to Yavin. Not because of me." He turns to his father. "What do we do?"

"We stop him, son," says Kes, standing and reaching out for his shoulder. Poe leans into the touch, then looks to Finn for support.

"How?"

Finn thinks. "We could try to find him on Chandrila, but if he's that smart—and we know he is because he already pulled it off—he would have had a plan for getting it off world quick. He's probably on his way to Yavin 4 already."

"And even if he's not, we can meet him there," says Rey. "Be ready for him." Chewbacca volunteers the _Falcon_ ; BB-8 volunteers himself.

"What if that's not where he's going?" Poe asks. "What if we're wrong, and he takes this thing somewhere else?"

"It makes sense," Finn argues. "If he wanted you dead, he would have blown Chandrila into pieces. He wants you to suffer. That's why he sent Bulut after us, to send a message." He pauses. "One we'd be sure to get when he failed."

"I can get word to Vi Moradi and the network," offers Kin. "Tell them what to listen for, watch for, in case he's not heading to Yavin."

"We should let the Senate know," Connix says. "They can alert the New Republic forces."

"No," says Poe, shaking his head. "That could cause a mass panic, and then they'll start pointing fingers, probably at us, and fighting over what went wrong. We should keep this quiet for now, until we know for sure and can stop it."

"Poe, there's a potential planet-killer out there somewhere," Finn says. "We can't keep it from them."

"Then maybe the Chandrilans should tell them," Poe suggests. "They're the idiots who had it in the first place. Maybe they should be the ones to tell the New Republic what they were doing with it, and how they lost it."

"Then it's less our fault and more theirs?"

"Exactly."

"What do _we_ do, then?" asks Rose. Finn thinks about it, watches Poe thinking about it as well. When Poe doesn't take the lead, Finn answers.

"We need to go after him, get to Yavin as soon as possible."

"Two squadrons, a cruiser, and a full company of infantry," says Poe. "Unless you think we need more."

"The _Falcon_ and maybe another cruiser," says Finn. "And do we have anyone familiar with this superlaser?"

"Not here," says Rose. "Unless we kidnap one of their scientists."

"No one survived," says Finn. She cringes.

"Then I'll do my best."

"That's the plan," says Poe. "Connix, let Chandrila know we're leaving, and let Yavin know we're coming. Everyone else, get your gear and meet at the landing port in thirty minutes."

Everyone files out of the room except for Finn, Poe, Kes, and BB-8. The droid rolls up to Poe and lets out a series of beeps and whistles. Poe squats down to rub his dome.

"Yeah, buddy, we'll stop him." BB-8 trills, sounding as worried as a droid speaking binary can sound. "I know you like it there. I promise, we're not going to let anything happen to Yavin." The little droid turns to Finn and whistles a question. Finn can't help but smile down at him.

"I was only there once, and it was beautiful," he tells BB-8, who once again wonders if they can save it. "Hey, if Poe says we're not going to let anything happen to Yavin, then nothing's going to happen to Yavin. Haven't you been hanging out with him long enough to know that?"

BB-8's head dips, as if it's been chastised. Poe rubs him again. "We can do this. We stopped a thousand of these things on Exegol. We can stop one crazy gangster who doesn't even have a ship to go with it, right?"

The droid perks up, whistles another question, and Poe stands with a laugh. "Go ahead, I'll meet you downstairs. Maybe R2 can help you."

BB-8 rolls away, then returns and takes two silver rings from his inner compartment. He holds them out to Poe with another questioning beep. Poe laughs. "No, you keep them, pal. You're the best one to keep them safe."

The trill sounds suspiciously like a laugh.

"Hey, I can keep them safe, I just thought you'd like the honor!"

Kes laughs quietly from where he's standing by the door. "Come on, BB-8. Let's get ready and let them have a few minutes. I need to grab a few things myself."

"Dad," starts Poe, though Finn is not sure why he bothers.

Kes holds up a hand. "I'm coming, and you can't stop me, General or not. This is my home, Poe. I need to be there."

Poe opens his mouth again, his father raises an eyebrow, and Poe simply nods. Finn half wishes every argument with Poe was that easy to win.

"Thirty minutes, dad," says Poe, sounding both resigned and proud. "On the _Falcon_ with Finn and Rey."

"Yes, sir," says Kes with a small smirk. "Thirty minutes. Don't be late."

He leaves with a wink, and Finn watches the door close with a frown. "He doesn't expect us to, you know…"

Poe laughs and pulls him close. "I don't think so, no. Why, are you interested?" He punctuates the question with a kiss to Finn's jaw, then his neck.

"Usually," Finn answers. "But seeing as we've got a superlaser to track down, might not be the best time."

Poe grins, kisses his lips, and steps back. "I've heard that before, but you're right. Grab your gear, General. It's time to save the galaxy again."

Finn rolls his eyes. "Hell of a way to spend our wedding day."

"Never a dull moment, and all that," Poe laughs. Finn smiles, reaches for his hand to give it a squeeze, and together they get ready to stop a madman from destroying Poe's home.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So online education/distance learning is rough, and I'm getting sick of my computer. But I hope to have time to update this weekend with a nice cliffhanger! Just remember I am not a weapons expert whatsoever. Thank you for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"Yavin Central Command, this is General Poe Dameron of the New Republic Resistance Fleet." Poe waits patiently for a reply, knowing they've seen him and have already scanned his transponder code.

"Yes sir," answers a voice almost immediately. "We were told to expect you. This is Commander Barlow. How can we assist?"

"You're aware of the situation?" Poe asks. They are on an open frequency, and he doesn't want to speak freely for fear of someone picking it up and passing it on to alarm the public.

"Yes, sir," he answers. "Commander Connix briefed us.""

"Great," Poe replies. "Then I need to know how many ships have arrived in the last twelve hours." That was the widest window they could guess at Terex arriving at Yavin 4 before them.

"One moment, sir." There is a short pause. "Twenty-four ships, sir. All of them checked out."

"Didn't think it would be that easy. Can you send the transponder codes to my ship and General Finn? Finn, you there?"

"I'm here," he says. "Standing by to take a look at those codes."

"Sending codes now, sirs," says the commander.

"BB-8, start looking through them," says Poe. "Red Squadron, with me. Blue squadron, I want you—"

He is interrupted by a frantic beep from BB-8, followed by a scroll of numbers across his computer screen.

"Yeah, I see it, buddy." He swears vehemently, and Finn asks him what's wrong, the alarm clear in his voice.

"I think we found him," says Poe. "Because he's using Snap's old transponder code."

Finn swears as well. "How the hell did he get that?"

"Probably the same way he got the—the thing we're looking for. You can get anything if you know where to look and who to pay. Dammit!" Poe wants to hit something. Terex is rubbing it in, ruining his wedding to steal a superlaser he then takes to Poe's home planet by using Snap's old transponder code. It's utterly ridiculous and yet couldn't possibly get any worse.

"All right, he's using Snap's code, so he wants to get under your skin," says Finn. "Don't let him."

"Too late," Poe mutters.

"I know. But at least we're on the right track, we can track the ship with his code, right, C3-PO?" Poe can hear the droid in the background, and tries to wait patiently, but it isn't long before Commander Barlow chimes in.

"We have their location, Generals," he says. "The pilot said he wanted to explore the Great Temple. He should still be there. Transmitting coordinates now."

"Can you put a ground stop on any ship trying to leave the planet?" asks Finn. "We can't let this guy get away."

"I'll put out the alert," says the commander. "That doesn't mean they won't leave anyway."

"We can handle it," Poe replies. "Red squadron, you're still with me. I want the _Falcon_ with me as well. _Solo_ , drop your team on the far side of the temple and wait for word from me or General Finn. Blue squadron, I want you on patrol with the _Tantive V_. Nothing gets off this planet, understood?"

"Copy that." All ships report in one by one.

"Finn, let's go stop this bastard." Poe shoots off, four X-wings and the _Millennium Falcon_ following with the transport cruiser behind them. He knows exactly where to land, because he grew up here, and he's been to the temple before. He never thought he'd be back under these circumstances, though. He's trying to save the very world where he grew up—where his parents settled after the war, where his mom taught him to fly, where his dad took him hiking through the jungles. The planet he left to get away from it all, but that he returned to when he'd failed. The planet he always thought he'd settle on after the war, like his parents.

Poe lands _Black One_ and is about to pop the canopy when a message comes in on his console. Using Snap's old code.

"Get off this frequency, Terex," he snarls.

"Poe!" Terex exclaims. "I'm sorry— _General_ Dameron. You made it. Just in time."

"Just in time to stop you," Poe snaps. "Did you think I wouldn't find you with this code?"

"I was hoping you would," Terex replies. "We have a lot to catch up on. I hear you're a married man now. Or did I interrupt?"

"It was a good try, I'll give you that." Poe has dealt with this man several times, but is still hard pressed to keep his cool as Terex pushes his buttons from the start. There is something different about the former First Agent's voice, though—it is the sound of a man who has nothing to lose, perhaps not even his sanity. Poe worries about the endgame with such a man.

"Sorry to spoil the party, but it was too good an opportunity to pass up. Can I make it up to you? Meet for a drink in the old Rebel base?"

"What?" asks Poe, thrown off, and Finn immediately chimes in from the _Falcon_ that there is no way Poe is going alone.

"Of course he's not coming alone," says Terex, listening in. "I would love to meet another former trooper, General Finn. We have so much in common."

"We have nothing in common," Finn snaps.

"Probably not," agrees Terex. "After all, you want to spend the rest of your life with this man, and I can't wait to destroy him."

"I really hope it's not a bottle of poisoned wine," Poe says. "Because that's awfully cliché."

"Sometimes clichés work," says Terex. "But don't worry, Poe, I've got something much better in mind. Meet me in ten minutes, and we'll catch up." He pauses, and Poe imagines an evil grin, like something from a dramatic holo-vid. "The happy couple only."

The line goes out, and Poe rubs his face. "Shit," he says. "This guy is even worse than last time I saw him."

"He's insane," says Finn.

"Of course he is. He's got a planet killing bomb in his pocket. So, I guess we have a drink with the crazy bastard."

"We're not drinking anything, Poe," says Finn.

"Figure of speech, buddy," Poe tells him, and cuts out to climb out of his ship. He is still in his flight suit, but leaves his helmet behind, with instructions to BB-8 to have the X-wing ready to fly at a moment's notice. Red Squadron lands beside him and remains standing by.

He waits for Finn to join him, after arguing with both Rey and Chewbacca over the comms about remaining behind. He needs to be able to call in reinforcements—or send them after any escaping ships. Because what Poe can't figure out is why Terex is hanging out on the same planet he's planning to destroy.

They find Terex in the entrance to the old Rebel hanger at the base of the temple, standing alone with no backup. Even though he knew that one ship landed at the temple, Poe is still surprised to find Terex by himself; it feels wrong. They approach slowly, and Finn leans closer to speak quietly in his ear.

"He's up to something," Finn says.

"Obviously," Poe replies. "Any idea what that might be?"

Finn glances around, shakes his head. "No, but whatever it is, it's already started. He's practically bursting with it."

"You can't tell what?"

"I can't read minds, Poe."

Poe shakes his head. "Yeah, I know. And I wouldn't want you to, honestly." He straightens up and they continue forward. "Keep an eye out, I'll do the talking."

Finn nods and they stop before Terex, who takes a bottle of expensive raava from behind his back and offers it to them with a calculating look Poe remembers too well.

"Poe Dameron," he says, opening his arms expansively. The man himself is a walking, talking cliché, from the pieced-together trooper armor painted black and grey, to the terrible scarring on the right side of his face, to the slightly demented inflections of his voice. "Welcome home." He offers the bottle, but Poe simply stares at him, and he sets it down with a shrug.

"Yeah, about that," says Poe, standing with his hands on his hips, looking around curiously, more casual than he feels. The hangar is dark and foreboding, like something is waiting in the shadows for them. "What are you doing here, exactly?"

"Oh, I think you know," Terex replies.

"I do," Poe nods. "What I don't get is why you're _still_ here. Where's the bomb?"

Terex laughs. "Good job, General Dameron! What else have you figured out?"

Terex moves closer, stepping on something—an insect, a rock, old Rebel rubble—that crunches beneath his boot. He grins, and it almost sends chills down Poe's neck. The former First Order agent is a larger man than him, but Poe can do intimidating when he needs to. It's all in the attitude, and Terex hates Poe and his attitude. And he's easy to rile, though it would be easier if Poe didn't feel like the temple was suddenly closing in around them.

"I know you stole the money to pay some guys to grab the superlaser and crash my wedding," Poe says. "And you set up Bulut to take the fall by giving him the worst team—grunts guaranteed to end up dead or in jail. Nice touch, that part."

Terex remains quiet, his face unreadable aside from a single tilt to the right, as if encouraging Poe to continue. He focuses on Terex and not the feeling of dark anticipation around him; his chest feels strangely tight with it.

"Now you're here, on Yavin 4, at the beginning of the end—"

Terex grins wolfishly. "I knew the pig would squeal! I'm so glad you figured that one out."

"—with your superlaser, but no ship. We thought you might sell it, but Bulut seems to think you're still looking to bring back the glory of the Empire." Poe shakes his head, stops when it feels heavy, almost dizzy. "Kind of sad, this pathetic obsession of yours."

"I prefer to think of it as more of a goal," Terex replies. "A lofty goal, to be sure, but a goal nonetheless, attainable through strength, dedication, and ruthless, hard work." He pauses. "And some difficult sacrifices, of course."

"Really? What are you planning on sacrificing?" Poe glances into the hanger once more, but sees nothing, even if he can sense it. He can definitely feel Finn's tension from beside him. Something is going to happen—very soon, and very badly.

"My arch-enemy, of course." Terex laughs. "You've bested me for years, Poe, and I may even miss running into you around the galaxy. But this time, you will lose everything."

"I see," says Poe. "This is where you make your big speech, isn't it? How I'm going to lose my home, my family and friends, my career, my ship, my droid—am I leaving anything out?" he asks, turning to Finn. Finn has a funny look on his face, and Poe's chest constricts with the sense of _something's wrong_. He feels trapped, almost paralyzed. Terex is watching them closely, steps forward once more.

"You left out the part about losing your life," he says quietly. "Because—"

Without warning, Terex goes flying backward, propelled by the Force and Finn's outstretched hand. Finn staggers against Poe, unhooking the life support mask from his flight suit and slamming it onto Poe's face, sealing Poe in before he collapses to the floor, eyes rolling back in his head. Poe falls to his knees beside him, trying to breath fresh air into his lungs.

"—because poison," Poe gasps. "Shit." He lifts his arm—it feels like it weighs twice as much and takes a forced effort—and taps his earpiece to call the _Falcon._ "Code red, delta maneuvers." He barely manages to get it out before a coughing fit overtakes him. He falls to the floor, his limbs heavy.

There is a groan from the hanger, where Finn Force-pushed Terex away from them before collapsing. Poe tries to clear his head, reaches slowly for his weapon, and barely manages to pull it from his holster as Terex staggers to his feet, blood trickling down his face from a head wound.

"It's over, Terex!" Poe calls, then coughs again. "Give it up. Tell me where the bomb is!"

There is the sound of fighting from outside—shouting and blasters and more. Terex must have had his own people hidden somewhere, and they had to have arrived long before them because Yavin Central Command had only tracked one ship to the temple. Poe's ground troops have walked into an ambush, and Poe knows that he and Finn are on their own with Terex and whatever poison he used on them. He wonders if his dad went out to fight, hopes he stayed behind on the _Falcon._ He is still struggling to breathe when Terex is suddenly standing above him, kicking his weapon from his hands, then slamming his boots into Poe's ribs, hard. Poe is glad he's not kicking Finn, who is completely unconscious on the ground, hopefully not dead.

The burst of fury ends, and Poe rolls over, trying not to groan because he needs to breathe instead. Terex straightens and gazes down at him. "The bomb is gone, General, and the bomb is armed. You have approximately thirty minutes before the _entire_ Yavin system explodes into the biggest light show the galaxy has seen since the Hosnian system." He kicks Poe once more, raises his weapon, aims right between Poe's eyes. Poe thinks it's set to stun, hopes it is, but before Terex can pull the trigger, he goes flying backward again, and Rey and Chewbacca rush over. Poe waves her to Finn, rolls over and staggers to his hands and knees, trying not to retch. Chewie helps him stand, growls something about going after Terex.

"He's armed the bomb," Poe gasps. "We have to stop it."

"Where is it?" Rey demands. "And what happened to Finn?"

"Don't know," says Poe. "And some kind of poison, feels like a paralytic, maybe. Terex wasn't affected, he must have planned for it. Finn sensed it, slapped my life support on before he passed out."

She holds her hand over his chest, and Finn's body slowly relaxes, his breathing steady. But this is a hard one for Rey, and her shoulders slump, her face pale. "How do we find the bomb?"

Poe takes a deep breath and calls the _Falcon._ "Rose, Terex said he's taking out the entire system, can he do that?"

"Well," she says. "I doubt he had time to do anything more than set it to detonate in some way…" She trails off. "But if he detonates it in the right place, then maybe." She swears, not something he's used to hearing from her, and though he's not an engineer or a mechanic or a scientist, he knows enough about space to figure it out.

"Yavin Prime," Poe murmurs, thinking of the gas giant that Yavin 4 orbited. If Yavin Prime exploded, would it take out the entire system? Certainly it would take out all of its moons, several of which were inhabited. "Shit. Rose, contact Yavin Central Command. They need to find any ship heading toward Yavin Prime and stop it!"

"Yes, sir," she says, then: "But Poe, they can't shoot it down, they could detonate the bomb. And it could still cause considerable damage even in the atmosphere."

"Then they should shoot to disable," he says. "Find that ship and get us the location." He starts toward the door. "We're heading back now. Dameron out."

Poe turns to Rey. "Get Finn back to the _Falcon,_ make sure he's all right. Then finish it down here, and don't let anyone escape, especially Terex. I'm going after that bomb."

Chewbacca protests, but Poe shakes his head. "I'm fine," he says. "I didn't get too much of it, just feel woozy. I can fly, and I have an idea." He grins at the Wookie. "It's a crazy idea and Rey's going to hate it, though."

"That's a good reason not to try it, then," she says, and Chewbacca agrees.

"Not if it works." Poe starts jogging toward his ship, ignoring the headache starting to pound at his temples and the pain in his side from being kicked. He waves over his shoulders at the others. "I'll see you on the other side! Red Squadron, you still standing by?"

"What kind of question is that?" snaps Jessika Pava. "Get in your damn ship, Poe, and let's stop this bastard."

"BB-8, fire it up," Poe says. He sprints up the ladder, pulls on his helmet, and grabs a syringe from the medpack, something to clear his head from whatever Terex used on them. He starts flipping switches and is in the air within seconds, Jess and the others trailing behind him as he contacts Yavin Command.

"Commander Barlow, this is General Dameron. We have a rogue ship heading for Yavin Prime, any sign of it on your end?"

"No, sir," he answers. "But we can't always pick up ships from the far side of the planet, particularly if they are skimming the atmosphere. And it could also be hidden by one of the moons."

Poe swears. "BB-8, start scanning the far side of the planet as we get closer, that's where they'll be hiding. Red Squadron, follow me. Blue Squadron, no one leaves Yavin 4!" Everyone checks in, but Poe barely has time to process it before BB-8 is trilling in panic.

"What?" Poe asks. "Here? You're kidding me!"

"What is it, Black Leader?" asks Iolo. "I'm not picking up—oh shit."

"What the kriff?" shouts Jess. "Where the hell did they come from?"

Ten ships, most of them ancient TIE fighters with pieces of other ships attached, are screaming toward them from the far side of Yavin Prime.

"Probably hiding on one of the moons," says Bastian. "We can take 'em, boss."

"We need to get that bomb," Poe snaps. "Got anything for me, BB?"

The droid beeps at him; there is a small ship heading toward the gas giant, completely ignoring the ships around it. It's a Z-95 Headhunter, an old ship no one uses much anymore but smugglers and pirates. Too small for a full axial superlaser, but apparently large enough to carry the core.

"That's it. Jess, you three take out the TIEs. I'm going after that Headhunter. I'm going to disable it."

"And then what?" she says. "And don't you dare tell me you're going to—"

"Tow it into lightspeed and dump it somewhere?" Poe finishes. "That's exactly what I'm going to do. BB, I need a quick jump that will put us in the middle of nowhere so that thing can go off in—how much longer do we have?" he asks. "Terex said thirty minutes and that was about four minutes before we took off." The droid beeps a number at him; not a great number, but they can do it. "All right, you heard him—keep those TIEs off me, I'll grab the bomb, and either way this will be done in twenty. Dameron out."

They fly straight into the swarm of TIEs. Poe takes out one, tries for another, but he's concentrating more on avoiding them and getting through what is essentially a blockade to his goal: the tiny snub fighter screaming its way toward Yavin Prime. Poe wonders again how the hell Terex pulled this off—the attacks on Chandrila, the ground forces on Yavin, a small fleet defending his final play. It's been barely a year since the fall of the First Order, and that one man could consolidate such resources is frightening, made even worse by the lack of intelligence on it. Poe vows to finish this and make sure it never happens again, but he also feels like he's constantly fighting something from the shadows, some unknown rising up again and again, and a part of him is weary and wants to settle down. With Finn. They won the war, after all; why can't someone else protect their victory?

Thinking of Finn forces him to focus, and Poe shakes his head of the dregs of whatever drug Terex had somehow slipped into their systems (airborne, he thinks, which means Terex must have been immune to it.) He shoots forward, eyeing the ship before him. "BB-8, are you picking up any lifeforms?" There is a negative beep, and Poe is glad of that, at least. The ship doesn't have a droid either, which means it must be on some kind of autopilot program. "What about any distinct signatures from that superlaser? Any way to know for sure it's on that ship and we're not chasing a blind lead?"

BB-8 whistles an affirmative, comparing some sort of radiation signature to a similar one from Exegol. Poe asks him for the specs on the ship, studies it on the screen before him. Poe has flown a Headhunter before, knows how it handles, its weaknesses. It almost seems too easy.

"All right, I can take this out, no problem. Then we fire the cables and lock on. You got our jump ready?"

BB-8 tweets a reply—he's still searching for a both a hyperspace route and a drop point where the blast won't destroy anything. Poe tells him to keep working on it and accelerates toward the ship. It can't out maneuver him, so he moves in close and disables it quickly. Unfortunately, that doesn't stop its forward momentum toward the gas giant before them.

Yet before he can get the cables attached and stop its death spiral, a rogue TIE screams past, barely missing his X-wing as it fires. Poe swears as he evades the bogey, because time is running out: for him, for the bomb, and for Yavin 4.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just my usual disclaimer that I am not a scientist, a pilot, or a supervillain. I do try to think things through and leave them vague enough to work in a fictional universe, but I am also just trying to tell a story without having to earn my doctorate in astrophysics first. I apologize for any mistakes.  
> And while I thought I'd still have time with quarantine to relax and write, that is in fact not quite true when it comes to distance learning. So, I hope to finish the next chapter by the end of the week, since this is the point I wrote up to before I started posting, but then school let out, and now my computer time is all work, work, work (me) and help, help, help (the offspring). Hope everyone (anyone?) reading this is safe and well, thank you for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"Shit!" Poe shouts as the TIE fighter sticks with him. "Red squadron, I've got one on my tail and I need to get to that bomb."

"Sorry, boss," says Bastian. "They're sturdier than they look, taking longer than usual."

"You don't have longer than usual," Poe snaps. "I need—" He takes a hit, not bad, but enough to shake him. "We all right, BB-8?" he asks, and the droid beeps affirmatively, with the warning that they probably shouldn't take another hit like that so close to the planet, especially when they don't have much time and still need to get to the Headhunter and jump it into hyperspace.

"I know, buddy," Poe says. "But we can do it, we've done crazier things than this." BB-8 is not impressed with his optimism.

He goes after the Headhunter, but the TIE won't leave him and he zigzags everywhere, trying to avoid being shot down over a gas giant. Before long, the bomb will be out of his reach, or he'll run out of time to get it away from Yavin and end up blowing himself to pieces. "Jess, what the hell is going on?" he shouts.

The answer is the TIE exploding in a fireball as the _Falcon_ zips past above him. Finn's voice is on the comms, and Poe can't help but cheer.

"I'm saving your ass, that's what's happening," Finn says. "Get that thing out of here already."

"On it," Poe says. "Thanks for the save, General."

There is a silence on the other end of the comms. "Make sure you come back, Poe."

Poe swallows and nods even though no one can see him. "I will," he says softly. "We still have a wedding to plan."

There is a sharp laugh from the _Falcon._ "You said you'd make the plans," he replies.

"I said I have an idea." Poe takes the controls for the tow lines, brings them closer to the Headhunter and tells BB-8 to prepare. "But don't worry, I'll take care of it. Any word on Terex?"

He fires the tow cables, holds his breath as they latch onto the Headhunter. For a moment, he's not sure _Black One_ can handle it, that gravity and the dead ship will pull them both into the planet, but he shouts at BB-8 to put everything into the rear thrusters and he manages to stop their forward momentum enough to breathe easier.

"All right?" asks Finn, and Poe makes an affirmative sound.

"Ready for that jump?" he asks BB-8, who tells him one more minute before the calculations for the best drop coordinates are done. Poe takes a deep breath. They're cutting it awfully close. "Terex?" he asks again.

"They scattered into the jungle. Chewie took our people after them with a team from Yavin."

"And my dad went with, didn't he?" asks Poe. Kes had insisted on traveling to Yavin, and Poe still isn't sure whether to be terrified for or proud of his father.

"Of course he did," says Finn. "And I know I should have gone with them too, but I had to be up here. I just…had a feeling." BB-8 beeps then, spoiling the moment.

"I understand," Poe says softly. "I have to go now, the jump's ready."

"Poe—"

"I'll be back before you know it. Keep looking for Terex. We can't let him get away. Who knows what he'll do next if he can pull off something like this."

"Be careful," says Finn.

"I usually am," says Poe. "It's everything around me that goes to hell."

"Try not to let it go to hell this time."

"Not this time," echoes Poe. "I love you, you know."

"I know. I love you too, General."

Poe smiles; what they might otherwise say in the privacy of their own room is not something either one of them will say now, in open space, surrounded by others on the comms. Poe takes another deep breath, reaches out, and calls to BB-8.

"Ready?" Affirmative beep. "Punch it!"

They shoot into hyperspace. "How much time to the release coordinates?" Poe asks, and BB-8 gives him a five-minute countdown. Poe tries to think through his next move, or plan for something going wrong, but all he can think about is getting back to Finn, moving on from this and finishing what they started on Chandrila. He is planning it all out in his head when BB-8 whistles frantically at him. Ten seconds, with less than a minute left until the bomb detonates.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm awake, buddy," he tells the droid. "Ready?"

They count down together. Poe releases the cables, and the Headhunter spirals off behind him. He drops out of hyperspace right before the bomb explodes, yet the explosion is so large it creates a shockwave that follows him back to realspace, tossing the X-wing around like a toy.

Poe does his best to stabilize the ship, but even strapped in, he's bounced around hard, and all he remembers is a sharp pain, and then darkness.

* * *

Poe wakes with a gasp, his head pounding. He reaches up under his visor to wipe blood from his face, feels a deep cut near his temple. He doesn't think it's serious, or that anything else is broken, but he feels sore and nauseous from being tossed around like a rag doll. It must have been a hell of an explosion. He hopes it worked, and that it didn't hurt anyone, let alone take out a planet.

Everything is quiet aside from the frantic beeping of BB-8. Poe shakes his head, clears his throat, and finally replies.

"Yeah, buddy, I'm okay. Just banged up." The beeps change to relieved. "You all right? Good. What's our status?" The droid gives him the bad news: Black One is dead in space. Which explains the silence: not a single thing is running in the cockpit aside from an emergency light.

"All right, first of all, how long was I out?" He groans when BB-8 tells him it's been almost thirty minutes. "Were you able to contact anyone? Nothing works, right. Shit." He rolls his shoulders and takes a calming breath. He has an emergency beacon in his flight suit he can activate. "Okay, second question—do you know where we are?"

They hadn't been in hyperspace for long, but they'd dropped just past the drop coordinates and were pushed further by the explosion. BB-8 says they should be somewhere in the Outer Rim, out past Felucia. Which means no one is nearby, but help shouldn't be too far. Assuming someone picks up his beacon signal.

"Last question," he says. "Can we fix it ourselves?"

It turns out an awful lot has been knocked off line, so Poe reconsiders the idea of leaving the cockpit to try out some repairs. Not that he had been looking forward to working in zero gravity, but he hates the idea of sitting around waiting for rescue even more. He activates the emergency beacon, hoping someone back at Yavin is already looking for him given how long it's been.

"Sorry, one more. How long can we last out here?" Poe asks. He remembers floating in an asteroid field once, the ruins of his ship drifting around him, his air slowly running out. It is not something he wants to repeat, even relatively safe in the cockpit of his intact X-wing. BB-8 gives him a decent number, but not a great one. Enough that Poe decides to get out and look at the damage after all. At the very least, he would love to have life support and weapons in case someone unfriendly happens to find him first—or he's out there for a while.

He's not out for long and hasn't got much back online when BB-8 trills in alarm. Poe turns around and sees a large freighter behind him. He swears under his breath, because it actually _looks_ unfriendly, and that's the last thing he needs after everything else that has gone wrong that day.

"I see 'em," he tells the droid, and scrambles back into the cockpit. At least he managed to get the short-range radio and one of the cannons working, just in case. In case of what? He'd be better off taking any offer of assistance he can and then working his way out of it if something goes wrong. He's about to hail the freighter when they contact him first.

"Poe Dameron, what the hell are you doing out here?"

He exhales the breath he'd been holding; he may be okay after all.

"Grakkus, you slimy son of a Hutt, what are _you_ doing out here?" Poe is still slightly nervous, given the unpredictable nature of a Hutt lord, but he knows this one, saved his life, so he's hoping that Grakkus will help him out. The problem being, of course, that Grakkus has helped him out before and may not be feeling gracious.

"On my way home, Dameron," the former prisoner replies. "Or should I call you general now?"

"You can call me whatever you want," Poe replies. "Especially if you can help a general out."

The Hutt laughs, and Poe grimaces at the sound, glad that Grakkus can't see him. "You helped me, Dameron, and I helped you. We're even now. You don't want to be in my debt, do you?"

"Depends on what that entails," Poe says. "Can I at least ask a question? Where the hell are we exactly?"

"You're in the middle of the Outer Rim," Grakkus replies with another deep laugh. "Past the Lothal system."

"Great," Poe mutters. It's farther than they thought. "Look, I get that you're on your way back to Nal Hutta, but you did stop for me. Could you at least let me send a message to my people?"

"Or I could let you float around out here and die of asphyxiation before they find you," the Hutt replies. "And no one would ever know."

"My droid would know," Poe snaps. "And then my people would be all over you like—"

Kriff, he hates the way Hutts laugh. "Dameron, you are too easy. I'll send a message, but that's it. I have important cargo on board that I'd rather not share with the New Republic."

"Fine," Poe tells him. "I get it. Could you send these coordinates to Yavin 4, then? A mutual friend of ours just tried to blow it up, that's why I'm stuck here. I dropped off the bomb in hyperspace and got knocked out."

"Ah, that's what that anomaly was on the sensors," the Hutt replies. "And what mutual friend are you referring to?"

"First Order Agent Terex," Poe replies, and he suspects that will get the Hutt's attention, since Grakkus has had his own run-ins with Terex. He is right and hears the Hutt roar.

"That son of a bantha is still alive?" he asks.

"And crazy as ever," Poe tells him. "Wait till you hear what he pulled off on Chandrila."

"I heard something was going down on Chandrila," Grakkus replied. "But I didn't know it was Terex, and I certainly didn't think it involved a bomb."

"What did you hear?" Poe demands. "And could you send those coordinates while we chat?"

"Already sent, General." He laughs at the title. "And I heard there was going to be a hit on the Galactic bank."

"The bank, a weapons lab, and my wedding," Poe grumbles, earning a surprised exclamation.

"Your wedding? Well, maybe I should offer some assistance, after all. As a gift."

"It's okay," Poe tells him. "I don't need to owe you one, I've got enough to worry about. And I definitely do not want to see your cargo."

"No, you probably don't." There are voices in the background. "All right, Dameron. Yavin has your coordinates. I leave you in their capable hands."

"Thanks," Poe tells him, hoping it won't be too long until someone manages to jump to his location. "And if you hear anything about big bombs in the future, can you maybe pass it on?"

"I'll consider it, general," the Hutt replies. "I'm no friend to terrorists. Smugglers and thieves, yes, but not former First Order."

"Good man," Poe says. "I mean, Hutt. Thanks. Dameron out."

BB-8 trills a question. "Of course I don't trust him, pal," he says. "I think he probably contacted Yavin, and I'm hoping he didn't send our coordinates to anyone who might want to hurt us, but I don't think he's going to feed us intel, no." Another question. "No idea what his cargo might be, and I don't want to know. Now, do I head back out or do we wait for rescue?"

BB-8 whistles a response, and Poe agrees: as much as he wants his ship up and running, he'd rather stay inside. It shouldn't take too long for someone to get there now that Yavin has his coordinates.

He passes the time telling BB-8 about his plans for a new ceremony with Finn, one that hopefully won't be interrupted this time. He has to keep talking the little droid out of the same grand plans BB-8 wanted back on Chandrila, when Finn and Poe wanted to keep it small and simple. Well, if he can pull off what he's thinking now, it will definitely be small and simple, just sort of complicated. And yet, Poe is even more excited than he was before, because maybe this time they can exchange their vows without being interrupted, and in a place they will remember far more than Chandrila.

It's not long before the _Falcon_ arrives, and Poe breathes a sigh of relief. It's over, and he's more than ready to go home. They attach his X-wing beneath the freighter, and Poe climbs aboard. Finn is there to meet him, pulling him into a tight embrace that feels like home—and also hurts like hell. Which is when he guides Poe over to the medical bunk, lays him down, and starts to clean the cut on his head, as well as several other deep bruises.

Finn tells him that Chewbacca and his father are fine. Terex managed to make it off world, and Blue Squadron went after him, but he jumped to hyperspace almost immediately, clearly prepared to make his escape. But they know now: they know he is out there, and that tech from Exegol is making its way into the wrong hands. They can be prepared. They will stop him.

The _Falcon_ jumps into hyperspace for the trip back to Yavin IV, and Poe lets himself drift off. They saved his home world, and while there is still a lot to do, the first thing on his list is to start making other plans, plans that have nothing to do with stopping madmen and saving the galaxy. He's getting married, and this time nothing is going to stop him.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the long wait! I'm not sure how many people are reading this, but I also wasn't sure what I wanted to do with Poe once the bomb exploded. So I wrote lots of shorter stories in the meantime! I toyed with the idea of him ending up in enemy hands, or coming across some bounty hunters, or even getting rescued by some old friends, but I'm not that familiar with the EU. I have, however, read the comics, so it seemed appropriate that in a story about Terex, he might run into Grakkus the Hutt as well. Thank you for reading, there is one more chapter and hopefully our space idiots will cooperate!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Finn wakes up alone, surprised to find Poe is not only awake, but has left the room completely. When he needs to, Poe can be up like a shot and function on a few hours of sleep, but there are also days when it's all Finn can do to get him out of bed in the morning. Poe is like a reluctant teenager on those days, complete with rolling over, moaning, and pulling the covers over his head. Given the excitement of the last forty-eight hours and the fact that he was in bed until late morning the day before, Finn would have expected the older man to stay in bed until at least a few more hours.

After using the refresher, Finn finds Poe in the kitchen, dressed and ready and sharing a cup of caf with his dad. He grins when Finn enters.

"Hey, look who's finally up!" he exclaims, standing quickly and getting a cup of caf for Finn, like they're already an old married couple. Sometimes it feels like they are, especially when Poe hands it to him with a sloppy kiss on the cheek, earning an eye roll from his father. "Sleep all right?"

Finn takes a sip of the caf. It is made from the dark, rich beans grown on Yavin, and it is delicious. "That's amazing, thanks. I slept great, but you're up awfully early—well, for you."

Kes laughs from the table. "He's still not a morning person?" he asks.

"When he needs to be," Finn tells him. "But if he didn't have a Resistance to run, I think he could sleep all day!"

"He almost did yesterday," Kes points out. "Didn't we have to drag him out of bed?"

"You did not, and I didn't sleep that long," Poe protests. "Besides, I'm still catching up from all those years of being sleep deprived and grabbing a few hours in the cockpit. I've earned my rest these days."

"Yes, you did," Kes murmurs. "And more."

Poe grins crookedly at him, and Finn has the immediate impression of a secret, something they're not telling him. He doesn't think it's bad, just something between father and son that he doesn't need to intrude on, so he doesn't.

He sits down at the table and spies a rucksack on a chair. "What's that for? We have plans for today?"

"Actually, yes," says Poe, and Kes stands to get himself some more caf, that smile still on his face. "I was thinking we could go see the old ruins, where the Rebel base used to be." Poe shrugs as if it's no big deal, but Finn can tell it is, that Poe is excited. "Since we're here for an extra day or two, we may as well take advantage."

"No, I think it's brilliant, let's do it!" Finn says. "What about Rey? Would she like it?"

"Probably," says Poe. "But I think she wants to commune with the tree a bit."

"Of course," Finn murmurs. "Is she there now?"

"Uh, no, she went for a training run," Poe says. "I told her we'd meet her later. So, if you're up for it, I packed some food and we can leave any time."

Finn finishes his cup and takes it to the sink. "I'm ready. Let's do this." He can tell it means a lot to Poe, and he's looking forward to spending some time alone after not getting married two days ago.

The trip to the Massassi ruins takes well over an hour. Fortunately, it's still early in the season and the temperature is not too warm, though the humidity reminds Finn of Ajan Kloss and he certainly didn't miss that on Chandrila. When they arrive at the large pyramid, Finn is hot and sweaty, with his jacket tied around his waist; Poe has stripped down to his undershirt, and his hair is a wreck. They take a break to admire the view, sipping some water as the jungle sings around them. Finn feels a sense of peace come over him, but there is a feeling of excitement practically vibrating in the air around Poe.

"I loved coming here as a kid," Poe tells him. "Knowing what happened here, feeling that sense of history. I haven't been here for years, but it's…" He shakes his head. "What do you think?"

"It's amazing," Finn says. "I've never seen anything like it." And he hasn't. The temple complex is not as large as some of the places he's seen on other worlds, but the sense of history that Poe mentioned is overwhelming. He feels like he's a part of something bigger than him, even if the Rebels left decades ago.

"Come on," Poe say, pulling on his shirt and jacket, running a hand through his hair, and taking Finn's hand. "Let's get closer, explore some. There's all kinds of interesting stuff inside."

"Then can we eat?" asks Finn, because he's starving.

"Then we can eat," says Poe. His smile is enigmatic, though, and Finn suspects he's done something sentimental, like packed a romantic picnic for them. He's looking forward to it, as long as it's sooner and not later.

Poe leads him into the temple. It is dark and he pulls out a torch, guiding them as if he knows exactly where he's going. And he does seem to know his way around, pointing out all sorts of things from the old Rebel days, and the Imperial occupation after. There is a tickle at the back of Finn's mind, and he notices as they walk deeper into the temple that there is a light ahead of them. He wonders if a part of the temple collapsed at some point.

They make their way through the various levels of the temple before they finally step into a large chamber, the ceiling high but intact aside from a single opening at the top, pouring light into the room. And surrounding the light are all their friends: Rey, and Chewbacca, and Rose; all the droids; Jess and C'ai and the other pilots; and Kes Dameron, standing in the center of them all at the top of several steps.

Finn stops in his tracks and stares, then turns to Poe, who looks ready to burst with excitement.

"This was your big idea, wasn't it," he says. "To get married here."

"I told you I have good ideas sometimes," Poe replied. "As long you're okay with it."

Finn looks around at everyone gathered. Even those they'd left behind on Chandrila are there, blue figures holo-commed on the sides. He gives Poe a dry look. "Everyone's already here," he points out, and Poe appears stricken for a single moment before Finn grins, his heart racing with excitement. "Of course I'm okay with it! How did you pull it off?"

Poe laughs and takes his hand. "I'll tell you later. Let's do this first."

"Before something goes wrong again?"

"Exactly."

They walk down a long aisle to the bottom of the stairs and stand before Kes. The others close in around them: Rey and Rose beside Finn, C'ai and Chewbacca beside Poe, with BB-8 at his feet. The others close a circle behind them; it is small and intimate, even in the middle of an ancient temple now run down with dirt and rubble, and it is absolutely perfect.

Kes leads the ceremony, a simple series of both traditional and personal vows, his voice strong and emotional as he gazes upon them both. There are smiles all around, and a few sniffles, even some chuckles as he reminds everyone of how Finn and Poe met. And then BB-8 rolls forward and offers two rings from one of his compartments.

"Thanks, buddy," Poe tells him. "I knew you could keep them safe." The droid beeps happily. "Yeah, you stay right here with us." BB-8 stands between them as Poe takes Finn's hand and places a simple silver ring on his finger. It is the ring Poe once wore around his neck, until offering it to Finn three months ago. His mother's ring.

For the first time since they left the house, Poe looks nervous. Finn can even feel his hand shaking, and hear it in Poe's voice as he gazes at Finn's hand and begins his vows. "Finn, I give you this ring as a reminder of my vow, and a symbol of our new life together. For today and tomorrow and all the days to come, I will walk by your side, and fly by your side, with all my loyalty and love, until the stars fade." Only when he finishes without fumbling does he glance up and meet Finn's gaze, blowing out a relieved breath before grinning.

Finn takes the other ring from BB-8, made from a part he'd asked the droid to swipe from Poe's ship months ago, and had asked Chewie to make into a ring. It seemed appropriate somehow, that Poe wear something that had flown amongst the stars on his hand as a mark of their relationship. His own vows are slightly shorter, and he holds Poe's gaze as he speaks clearly and confidently.

"Poe, this ring is a symbol of my promise, that I will love and support you with all that I am and will be. In all times, in all places, and in all ways, I will stand by your side until the stars fade."

Finn think he hears a few more sniffles around them, but he's grinning, and so is Poe, though his eyes are also bright. BB-8 is rolling back and forth with excitement as Kes steps forward and lays his hands over theirs.

"Congratulations, my sons," he says, and his voice cracks, which makes Poe's chest heave, though Finn honestly can't tell if it's a joyful laugh or a heartfelt sob. "Your lives are now joined as one." He steps back, the tears obvious in his warm eyes.

Poe looks at his father, then at Finn, then back at his father. "So, can I kiss him, now?" he asks, and Kes nods, clearly holding back a laugh.

"As if we could stop you," he says. "Just don't embarrass anyone."

Poe smirks, reaches out for Finn, and pulls him into a heated kiss that immediately has everyone clapping and cheering. Which Finn supposes is probably normal, since it happened at the only other wedding he attended, back on Ajan Kloss not long after the final battle. And he doesn't mind anyway, because they did it, they got married, and no one attacked them this time.

Still, they are generals and should probably maintain some sort of decorum, so Finn steps away with a smile, whispering, "Later," in Poe's ear.

"I'll hold you to that," Poe murmurs back.

"I hope you do," Finn replies. "So what next?"

Poe laughs and takes his hand, then turns around and raises them over their head, to more claps and cheers from their friends and loved ones. Kes comes to stand before them, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "Now we celebrate."

Which is apparently the signal for everyone to rush forward, and they are enveloped in hugs and embraces, with handshakes and kisses to the cheek, more laughing and crying. Rey holds them both so tight and for so long, Finn is not sure they'll ever make it out. Poe is always by his side, and he is glowing with happiness like Finn has rarely seen before. It fills his heart to bursting, that something so simple and yet so profound could bring such joy.

When everyone has offered their good wishes, Finn turns his back and leans closer. "Seriously, what next?" he asks. Poe turns him back and puts his arm around Finn's shoulder.

"All right, time for the party!" he tells everyone. "You all know where it is, so we'll see you there!" He grins at Finn, who narrows his eyes.

"What else did you do?"

"There's a place in town. I talked to them yesterday, and they said they'd be happy to have us." He shrugs kind of sheepishly. "I might have pulled a few strings, dropped some names and more than a few credits, but it's a nice place, good people." Finn is still looking at him. "What? It's tradition. We had a big party planned on Chandrila."

"I know we did," Finn replies. "What I can't figure out is how you pulled all this off in one day!"

"What can I say, I'm good." Poe laughs, then shakes his head. "No, I'm not. I had a lot of help, mostly Rey and my dad. Thank them too." He pulls Finn in for a quick kiss. "We also have a room in town, so we don't have to spend the night at my dad's house."

"What's wrong with your dad's house?" asks Finn. Of course, Kes is right behind him.

"You're married now, Finn," he says, exchanging a familiar grin with Poe. "And while you are always welcome, you should probably take a night for yourself, if you know what I mean." And he winks, though it is not nearly as good as his son's.

"Right," says Finn. "Good point."

Kes walks away with Chewbacca, while Rose pulls Rey toward the exit as well. BB-8 beeps a question at them, and Poe nods, crouching down to pat the little droid on his dome. "You did great, buddy. Thank you for keeping it secret." BB-8 whistles proudly as Poe stands up to pull Finn into one more embrace. "You know, we could always stop by that room before we head to the party," he murmurs, nipping lightly at Finn's ear. "If you were interested."

"I don't know," says Finn. "I'm _really_ hungry after being dragged all the way out here without food."

Poe steps back.

"I mean, I thought you had packed a romantic picnic or something," Finn continues, enjoying the look on Poe's face too much.

"I plan a secret wedding that actually gets us married instead of shot at, and all you want to do is eat?" Poe asks. He takes Finn's hand and starts walking toward the others. "I guess we eat, then!" But he's smiling, and Finn knows he's picked up on the teasing.

"I love you," he says, both fond and exasperated.

"I know," Poe returns. He gazes sideways at Finn and squeezes his hand. "You're not so bad yourself, husband-general."

Finn laughs. "Husband-general?"

"How about General-husband? Is that better?"

"Not really. You could just go with the name you gave me. I like that best."

"Finn," says Poe, as if trying it out, like he did once so long ago. "I love you, too, Finn."

"I know."

"Just making sure. You ready for this party?"

"I'm ready," says Finn. He's been ready for a long time, and can hardly believe it's happening. They can finally start their life together.

"Then let's do this."

And they do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End!  
> Whew! Sorry that took so long, but I hope it was worth it and enjoyed. Thank you for reading – let a girl know what you thought?


End file.
